<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Knowledge of Good And Evil by CadetDru</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26140039">Knowledge of Good And Evil</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CadetDru/pseuds/CadetDru'>CadetDru</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Statement of the Serpent and the Sword [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman &amp; Terry Pratchett, The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aziraphale's Bookshop (Good Omens), Canon-Typical Worms (The Magnus Archives), Gen, Good and Evil, Leitner Books (The Magnus Archives), Statement Begins - Freeform, Statement Fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:35:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26140039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CadetDru/pseuds/CadetDru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Statement of A.Z. "Ezra" Fell, regarding a book formerly belonging to Jurgen Leitner that he gave to the Magnus Institute. Statement recorded direct from subject, 18th April 2016.</p><p>Statement begins. </p><p>Oh, I do hope I didn't damage your other recorder.  Or your desk. Your equipment here does seem to be a bit tetchy.  This recorder seems lovely, though. Very modern.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale &amp; Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale (Good Omens) &amp; Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Statement of the Serpent and the Sword [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Knowledge of Good And Evil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Statement of A.Z. "Ezra" Fell, regarding a book formerly belonging to Jurgen Leitner that he gave to the Magnus Institute. Statement recorded direct from subject, 18th April 2016.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Statement begins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, I do hope I didn't damage your other recorder.  Or your desk. Your equipment here does seem to be a bit tetchy.  This recorder seems lovely, though. Very modern.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I own a bookshop and certain things gravitate to me.  I try to fling them back out of my orbit if they’re of a certain type.  I don’t know what was in that book because I couldn’t bear to touch it. I could barely walk into this unhallowed place.  Crowley could handle it just fine, and isn’t that proof enough of an ill omen.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I have a collection of artifacts of great personal meaning.  Please do call if you run across any books of prophecy that did not belong to Jurgen Leitner. And I’ll let Martin know if I run across any more of those. Oh! And if you ever happen across a flaming sword… well, never mind that one.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I know I’m not telling you this story at the speed you’re accustomed to.  I know that you’re new at this, Archivist.  I know a lot of things about you. That’s not meant to be a threat, not that anyone ever thinks I’m threatening them.  That’s Crowley’s role.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The book that he brought you makes one crave knowledge.  Knowledge of everything, of good and evil and everything in between. I hope you didn’t try to read it, but I doubt it would have had much effect on you.  That’s how you feel already. It’s dangerous for those who don’t have access to your resources.  Even your assistants would suffer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If you don’t mind my saying so, you’re already suffering. These worms have you a little on edge.  They don’t like me, but they don’t respond to my blessings and smitings the way that I would like. Things of this sort don’t.  I come from something else.  I don’t understand this sort of thing and they don’t understand me.  Which makes sense, they are just worms after all.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This whole place, it can be damned or blessed. It exists outside the spectrum where Crowley and I exist.  I can’t cleanse this place.  I see how much that scares you, just the idea of a fuddy-duddy like talking about hellfire and brimstone. A flood of holy water wouldn’t help, wouldn’t even wash away the worms, just ruin all your boxes.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just being in this place makes me...itchy. I’m sure Crowley wasn’t pleased to be here either. It’s nothing to do with you, you seem to be a very competent young man and I do hope you enjoy this position.  I knew your predecessor, in passing. We had the same sort of arrangement, regarding strange books I come across. She never found the sword. I don’t know if she would have given it to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’d offer you my protection but I can tell you don’t want it.  You’ll be an excellent Archivist; paranoia can only help in that role, from what I understand.  I’ll do what I can, what you let me. I’ve got my own ongoing projects, but I’m sure our aims dovetail nicely.  We’ll get on like a house on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Martin does have my protection, but I doubt that will be enough.  Poor lad.  You should look out for your people better, sending them off into the spider’s den.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m sorry.  Are you quite alright? I didn’t mean to startle you.  I can tell you haven’t read that book, or you’d understand my meaning.  Probably for the best, all things considered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Statement ends.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>